


When We Met In The Coffee Shop

by East02End



Category: EastEnders
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-02-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:34:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22957999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/East02End/pseuds/East02End
Summary: Just a cute little AU I came up with! 😊
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Comments: 2
Kudos: 38





	When We Met In The Coffee Shop

Ben spotted Callum first. He’d always be in the café at the same time everyday, getting the same drink.

At first Ben never intentionally made sure he was in there at the same time but eventually he would, just so he could see him from afar. 

“Why don’t you just go and talk to him?”

He jumped when Jay spoke to him. 

“What? No, I wasn’t...”

“You were staring at him. Again. Just go see what he’s like. He could turn out to be a right pillock, then you can stop staring at him and actually have a whole, normal conversation with me.”

“No, Jay, I’m fine. I don’t need to. I don’t come in here for him anyway, I come here with you.”

“Yeah, at the same time everyday, which happens to be at the same time he’s in here.”

“No it’s not, Jay. I just like to come in here when I want.”

“When he’s in here...” He muttered to himself. “Do you even know what his name is?”

“For crying out loud, Jay! No I don’t.” Ben stood up abruptly not noticing Callum walking towards the door, the same door Ben was heading. Right into each other. 

Ben had poured all of his coffee, down Callum’s shirt.

“Argh! Jesus! This is my best shirt!” Callum cried. “Perfect, this is really perfect!” He muttered under his breath. 

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you! I just turned around from Jay and...” Ben looked at Callum, coffee dripping off him. “Oh, look at the state of you, have these.”

Ben shoved some napkins at Callum, trying to make it look a little better but just making it ten times worse. 

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it.” Getting over his initial shock, Callum looked at Ben, not wanting to make him feel guilty for being so shocked.

“The week I’ve been having, I should have predicted something like this would happen. Practically the worst week of my life.” Callum told him, taking the napkins from Ben.

“Yeah? Not been having the best day, then I go and cover you in my coffee. I haven’t burnt you have I?”

“No, it’s not that hot anyway.”

Ben glared at Jay, chuckling to himself behind him. 

“That’s one way of talking to him.” Jay grinned.

“It isn’t funny Jay! Just go to work, I’ll see you later.” He turned his attention back to Callum, trying to wipe himself down. 

“I’m so sorry. I should have looked where I was going. I’ll pay for a new shirt or whatever you want.”

“It was an accident. It’s fine. I’m just gonna have to go home and change before work.”

“I’m sorry, I-“

Ben trailed off looking over Callum, his now wet shirt clinging to his body. Callum raised his arm checking his watch. 

“I’m not gonna make it back home and changed, if I don’t want to be late.” He said to himself. 

“I only live round the corner, you can sort yourself out at mine if you like. It’ll be quicker then you can get to work on time.”

“Oh no, I wasn’t saying that cos I wanted to-“

“Look, I need to sort this out for you, this is my mess anyway.”

Callum looked over Ben for a while, Ben feeling a little warm under his intense gaze, like he was trying to work out whether he was a serial killer or not. 

Callum finally nodded. “If it’s not too much trouble. That would be great.”

“No, not at all.” Ben smiled. He left his empty coffee cup on the side, opening the door for Callum. “I am sorry. I’ll buy you a new one.”

“It’s alright. It was an accident, you don’t need to, I’ve got plenty more...” Callum looked at Ben, waiting for a name.

“Ben.” He said quickly. 

“Callum.” He smiled.

They fell into step beside each other, Ben leading him to his flat, both falling silent, not sure what to say to other, not wanting to make each other feel anymore awkward than it already was. 

Ben waited whilst Callum sorted himself out in the bathroom, pacing, not sure where to put himself. Should he offer him a drink? Just make him one?

“Argh, you idiot, Ben!” He muttered to himself. 

The guy he’d been practically stalking for so long was in his bathroom cleaning himself up because Ben threw coffee all over him. 

“Way to go, Ben, masterclass in how to make a great first impression. Just throw coffee all over them!” Ben sank down onto the sofa, waiting for Callum. “Aand, I’m talking to myself...”

“Would you be talking to yourself, if I said I’ve made worst impressions on people?” 

Ben jumped looking up at Callum.

“I’m sorry, I’m not usually this... weird. I’m not insane, don’t worry.” He laughed nervously, wringing his hands together. He looked at Callum’s shirt, not so wet, but still with a large stain down the front. 

“It’ll have to do, but it’s alright.” Callum told him, noticing his gaze. “It doesn’t look as bad as it looks.”

“It looks pretty bad to me. Wait there.”

Ben made his way to the bedroom, turning back around. 

“Only if you want to stay, you can go now if you want.” He added. 

“No, I’ll wait here.”

Ben nodded, disappearing into his bedroom. 

He returned a while later with a new shirt. 

“Here, wear this. I bought the wrong size so it’s too big on me, but it might fit you. Not that I’m saying your fat or anything, your just... tall.”

Callum smiled at Ben, trying to explain himself. 

“Ben, just calm down. You don’t need to be so nervous.”

“Sorry.” He winced. “I just ruined your best shirt, now I’ve practically just called you fat.” He gave the shirt to Callum anyway, shutting himself up, making things worse. 

“Oh no, I couldn’t take one of your shirts.”

“It’s fine, honestly, I don’t wear it anyway. Please, it’s the least I could do.”

Callum reluctantly took the shirt, from Ben taking his coffee-stained one off and putting Ben’s on. 

Ben didn’t know where to look as Callum buttoned up the new one, exposing his bare chest. 

“Thank you.” Callum told him.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Like I said, it’s the least I could do.”

Ben felt himself under Callum’s gaze again, his eyes flicking over his face. 

“I- uh- I should go. Thanks again for the shirt.” Callum stammered and was gone before Ben had a chance to say anything else. 

He presumed they’d go back to their normal days not acknowledging each other, now Callum had left and sorted himself out.

Ben jumped when someone knocked on the door late that night. 

Ben opened the door slowly not expecting anyone. 

“Hi.” Callum smiled. 

“Callum!” Ben cursed himself sounding too eager. “Come in.”

“I went home after work to swap my shirt. Couldn’t turn up here with no shirt on.” He laughed nervously, following Ben slowly into the flat. “I brought your shirt back. I washed it for you.”

“Oh, you didn’t need to do that. You can keep it, doesn’t fit me anyway. I’m sorry if I freaked you out this morning, I’m not usually like this. I thought I scared you, you did sort of dash out of here.”

“Sorry, I didn’t want to be late and you...” He trailed off, thinking better of it.

“Can I... get you a drink or...?”

“Oh, erm, yes please. I’ll have whatever your having.”

Ben felt a rush a heat through him when Callum smiled at him, going to get them them both a beer instead. 

Ben sat down next to him, trying to take Jay’s advice but making himself all flustered again. 

“Erm, so here’s the thing, I’ve practically been stalking you for months... Well not stalking, more watching. Wait, that makes me sound dead creepy. I wasn’t watching, I was-“

“I know.” Callum simply said. 

“What?” Ben looked up from his lap at Callum. 

“I know.” He smiled. 

“So all this time, I’ve been watching you and you’ve known?”

“Yup. To be honest, I see you in the café everyday. I wanted to talk to you but I was too scared.”

“I only go in there cos you were in there.” Ben smiled. 

“Really?”

“Yeah, I was too scared to talk to you too.”

“Well, we’re talking now? It only took us months of stalking each other and some spilt coffee.” Callum smiled. 

They both grinned at each other, Ben taking another nervous sip of his drink not sure what to do.

“Instead of stalking each other we could always just go for a drink some time.” Callum smiled. 

“Yeah, I’d like that.” Ben smiled back. 

“As long as there’s no coffee involved.” 

“Your never gonna let me live that down are you?”

“Nope.”

They both grinned at each other, both feeling less awkward already.


End file.
